Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

This appealing opera about Nemorino (Pavarotti), a poor young Italian peasant, hopelessly in love with Adina (Sutherland), daughter of a wealthy landowner, has a wealth of comic incidents, mostly based on the character of Dr. Dulcamara, a traveling huckster of patent medicines who sells Nemorino a bottle of wine on the pretext that it is a love potion. It also has some of the most gorgeous melodies of all time, including the tenor favorite "Una furtiva lagrima," and a sentimental happy ending that brings out the best in Sutherland's temperament. The singing is gorgeous (this may go into history as Pavarotti's finest recording), and Sutherland elaborates the vocal line and even uses unfamiliar variations in the text that date back to Donizetti's lifetime. The comedy is handled reasonably if not exceptionally well. --Joe McLellan

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

This unmatchable recording of L'Elisir d'Amore is one of the few examples of absolute perfection in a musical recording... it could even be THE most perfect recording of any opera ever recorded. Not a note, not a tempo, not a characterization is anything less than exactly what you dreamed it should be. Pavarotti and Sutherland were never better, and that's saying alot for two of the most stunning, brain-dazzling voices of the century. Luckily for us, their voices were at their golden peak at the same time. Sutherland is particularly blessed here with the character of Adina... her knock-out coloratura soprano, in other recordings, is not always able to convey real depth of emotion. Here, however, she's found her niche... the haughty, well-educated, and uncommitting flirt whose cold, sometimes cruel, heart melts under Nemorino's ardent innocence is exactly right for Sutherland's intellectual voice... and she acts up a storm. Her version is too smart to be a heartless minx... she is seriously hard to catch; a real woman who knows her self worth... but who forgets to note the worth in others. Very few sopranos even attempt the final soaring cabaletta after Adina's ecstatic confession of love (with Pavarotti's Nemorino perfectly bewildered and stammering); most recordings skip it. But Sutherland makes the difficult trills and extended high notes sound like child's play; there's nowhere her voice can't go and she makes sure you know it. And Pavarotti simply can't be stopped from making every musical line float with lyric beauty. You almost wish Nemorino could keep anguishing in unrequited love just to have Pavarotti wring your heart forever as only he can. He and Sutherland keep stealing every scene from each other and together, in combined harmony, they are thrillingly sensuous.Read more ›

This is the most magnificent recording of this opera ever to be produced. Dating from two recording session in 1972, London/Decca brought back to the studio the most successful bel canto trio to have made recordings.It is immediatly apparent from the first moments of the Overture, that Bonynge has a real feeling for the drama, beauty, and fun that is in the score. His tempos are often on the more expansive side, but they are always crisp, and very raely does one wish for a faster reading.In fact, the unusually slow (but not sluggish) speed for the Act II duet "Venti Scudi" allows the full glory of Pavarotti's voice to shine through, his command of legato and smooth, rich velvety tone made more imprssive than in a more clipped speed. Something else that comes through so well on this recording is Pavarotti's perfect use of tone color and shading, along with his magical use of language to express every emotion so distinctly, that one could even understand the Italian without the Libretto!Dame Joan is another matter, however. While her top notes (notably the high D's) show no sign of wear and tear, her upper-middle register does very slightly. It is interesting that just three years before this recording, she made what is arguably the greatest recording of her life in La Fille Du Regiment, with many of the same cast members. There, her tone was unimaginably bright and sheer, with nearly every syllable well articulated, something she usually had trouble doing. Here, she covers many consanants with an open vowel-like sound, to produce a magnificent tone, to be sure, but a warmer, older sounding one.Read more ›

Buy this recording for Pavarotti; it is one of his best performances on record. However, There are other better overall recordings. Sutherland comes across as too old and matronly for Adina, and Bonynge's conducting is absolutely dull and lifeless. Malas and Cossa are just OK.

If you really want to hear how this opera should be performed, get di Stefano's recording on Decca with Gueden, Capecchi, Corena, and Molinari-Pradelli conducting. Or, if you don't mind a live recording with decent quality stereo sound, get Bergonzi's recording with Scotto, Taddei, Cava, and Gavazzeni conducting. Both these recordings were a revelation for me after learning the opera many years ago with the Pavarotti/Sutherland version.

This is indeed a very good recording of Donizetti's comic masterpiece. Pavarotti's singing is simply marvelous. Sutherland is a fine Adina... her singing is fresh and beautiful, despite her age. Bonynge did a splendid job conducting.The recording is not without flaws though. Malas fits the role of Dulcamara quite well, but his timing is off at times. The quality of his voice, however, is very agreeable. Cossa is mediocre Belcore, his voice sounding rather weak at times...especially in the finale.Don't misunderstand me; Pavarotti and Sutherland's magnificent singing alone makes this recording well worth the money. I think many reviewers are overexaggerating this recordings weak points, while down playing its finest qualities. I say, try it... chances are, you'll like it. =)